Barcelona’s GSMA Mobile World Congress is the world’s leading event for the mobile industry, bringing together the telecommunication sector’s top companies and professionals.
During this last edition in 2015, more than 93,000 visitors from 200 countries – including 2,000 exhibiting companies showcasing cutting edge products and services the world – attended the conference. 3,800 journalists and analysts covered the event, reporting on all the significant announcements made in the 100,000 square meters exhibition and hospitality space.
This year the impact of the event on the local economy in the Barcelona area was estimated at 436 million euros and contributed to the creation of 12,675 part-time jobs.
The Mobile World Congress in 2 minutes
The MWC is a driving force and a platform for IT businesses in Catalonia:
- Drawing in €463m to Barcelona’s local economy
- Creating over 12,600 temporary jobs
- 93,000 visitors from around the world
- 2,000 Exhibitor companies, 95 of them from Catalonia
The Catalan IT industry in numbers:
- 12,471 IT companies account for 2.1% of all businesses in Catalonia (70% of which are based in the Barcelona area)
- 81,800 jobs
- €17bn in revenue
- €500m invested in R&D every year
Next year, with the expansion of the L9 Metro line further connecting Barcelona’s metropolitan area, access to the Mobile World Congress will be facilitated for visitors and Exhibitors alike. The new section will span 20 km in length, include 15 stations and will connect Zona Universitària with Barcelona’s International Airport. The section is expected to be in service by February 2016 and will help guarantee the continuity of the world’s leading mobile technology conference in the Catalan capital.
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